1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to patient interface devices for transporting a gas to and/or from an airway of a user, and in particular, to a patient interface device that includes a cushion member having multiple chambers in which the internal pressure of the chambers may be selectively and individually adjusted. The present invention also relates to an apparatus and method for selectively and individually adjusting the chambers within such a cushion member.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous situations where it is necessary or desirable to deliver a flow of breathing gas non-invasively to the airway of a patient, i.e., without intubating the patient or surgically inserting a tracheal tube in their esophagus. For example, it is known to ventilate a patient using a technique known as non-invasive ventilation. It is also known to deliver continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or variable airway pressure, which varies with the patient's respiratory cycle, to treat a medical disorder, such as sleep apnea syndrome, in particular, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Non-invasive ventilation and pressure support therapies involve the placement of a patient interface device including a mask component on the face of a patient. The mask component may be, without limitation, a nasal mask that covers the patient's nose, a nasal cushion having nasal prongs that are received within the patient's nares, a nasal/oral mask that covers the patient's nose and mouth, a full face mask that covers the patient's face, or a total face mask that covers the entirely of the patient's face including the eyes and forehead. The patient interface device interfaces the ventilator or pressure support device with the airway of the patient, so that a flow of breathing gas can be delivered from the pressure/flow generating device to the airway of the patient. It is known to maintain such devices on the face of a wearer by a headgear having one or more straps adapted to fit over/around the patient's head.
As is known, proper patient interface device fit is important, as a poor fit can lead to patient discomfort and/or problems with mask stability and/or mask to patient seal. One of the problems with current patient interface devices is that they are typically made with the idea that a particular device style/design or a certain number of sizes of a particular device style/design will be able to accommodate the entire population of patients. This, however, is not the case because facial geometries can vary greatly from person to person.